


Can you hear me?

by BonkaisREAL



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angry Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Anxiety Attacks, Blood and Violence, Dark, Devil Face (Lucifer TV), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt Chloe Decker, Hurt Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Kidnapping, Nightmares, Post-Season/Series 04, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), References to Drugs, Rescue Missions, Sad Chloe Decker, Season/Series 04, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Violence, Wings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-04-19 16:44:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19136668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonkaisREAL/pseuds/BonkaisREAL
Summary: Post season 4, SPOILER.It's been six months. After Lucifer's departure, Chloe disappeares. Police start to looking for her, but she seems vanished into thin air. Dan ask's Amenadiel help and the angel is forced to go to Hell since the whole matter seems to be related to Lucifer.The King of Hell is willing to do anything to find and save his beloved detective.





	1. Chapter 1

Plic, plic.

She opened an eye, then another one.

Plic, plic.

She saw nothing. She closed them again. She groaned.

Plic, plic.

A sharp pain burst behind her head, at the nape of her neck. She tried to raise an arm but something undefined kept it locked. Both arms were locked. She moved her hands and a metallic clink came to her ears. Handcuffs?

Plic, plic, plic.

She shook her feet and had the same result. She realized. She was tied up, abandoned somewhere, cold to her bones and in pain. Every muscle in the body throbbed, like after a bad beating.

Plic, plic, plic.

Drops falling around her. Rain?

She remembered absolutely nothing. She felt numb with nausea and chills.

She only knew she was very thirsty. She would have drunk a cold beer, one of those that went down like nothing. She tried talking but couldn't. An adhesive tape covered her mouth. She moaned.

The senses, still numb, signaled her danger. She didn't know how or why, but ...she was trapped.

Plic, plic, plic.

She had to ask for help, get noticed, recover. She was so tired ...

A metallic beep was released into the air, then another. A man's voice cleared. - Good evening, detective, welcome to our humble abode. -

He spoke coarse English, although correct. It was as clear as the sun that he wasn't a native American with that particular accent.

Chloe gasped. The man's icy laugh made her uncomfortable. - Right, you're still not entirely herself. - He paused. - Don't worry, the effect of drugs should disappear within a few hours. -

Drugs? Oh, no. She stirred at the thought.

\- Be serene. - He said again. - We will have time to discuss. -

Chloe didn't want to wait, she wanted to know what the hell was going on and immediately, but the stifling silence enveloped her.

Plic, plic, plic.

She slipped into sleep a second later while the incessant noise of those drops kept her company.


	2. Where are you now?

\- What's new, Ella? -

Dan entered his colleague's forensic laboratory and crossed his arms impatiently. She finished fiddling with the computer and snorted. - Nothing at all. - She shrugged. - Chloe's phone is completely isolated, as if it didn't exist. -

Dan frowned. - Did you dig deeper? -

She stared at him and looked almost offended. - Dude, I pushed myself so far inside that I almost remained dry. -

Dan shook his head slightly. - I don't understand. Twelve hours have passed and we didn't hear from her. -

She grabbed her chin thoughtfully. - What if she took a break? After all, that nena does nothing but work. -

Dan leaned against the table, holding out his arms. - Without saying anything? It was up to her to be with Trixie this week. - Chloe never took her job under her head, let alone the role of mother.

She snapped her fingers, illuminated by a new idea. - What about her car? -

\- Parked out here. -

Her hopes went out immediately. - So she didn't leave. -

Dan nodded, unconvinced. - The fact is that she seems to have disappeared into thin air. -

\- Did you ask her friends? Linda, Amenadiel? - She tried to hide the other name with a cough. - Lu ...ci... fer? -

Dan rolled his eyes, then grimaced. - I tried to look for him but...as you know six months have passed and I still haven't figured out where he went. -

\- Chloe knows, of course. - Ella reasoned turning a ballpoint pen in her hands. - I think our friend, your ex-wife, miss her partner. - A little laugh escaped her control. - Let's face it, it's not just her partner since...she is madly in love with him. Lucifer loves her too, it's well known. Did you see how he looks at her? And that way he calls her. - She Imitated the English accent of the man even if with few results. - Detective! -

Dan became impatient. - Your point? -

She gestured, the pen fell to the floor. - I mean she's tired of waiting for him and she went to get him back! -

Dan thought about the possibility and wrinkled his nose. It was true that Chloe and Lucifer shared something incredible, a link that still - after years of watching them work together - he could not fully understand. And it was obvious that the woman loved him, but...Chloe wouldn't have left without saying anything to her closest relatives and friends. - Sounds crazy to me. -

She smiled like a happy child. - You know what they say, don't you? "Love is the feeling of fools". -

Dan wasn't convinced that it all led back to feelings, albeit strong and real. He knew almost with certainty that something was wrong. He decided, at least for the moment, to suspend the investigation and communicated it to his colleague. - Maybe you're right, but if we don't hear from her in the next few hours ...-

\- We will get to work seriously. - Concluded Ella. - Received, captain. -

////

Chloe emerged from the darkness emitting a series of gasping breaths. Sh touched her chest in a desperate attempt to see if she was still alive. Fortunately she immediately felt the heartbeat galloping at a very rapid pace.

Calm down, she imposed herself. She didn't want to have a heart attack.

She covered her eyes to shield them from the cold neon light and looked around, confused. She was in a bare room with white walls and floors, a security door blocking it. There was nothing. Neither a bed nor a chair, nothing at all.

Getting up was extremely difficult. Unstable, on shaky legs, she took two steps but immediately had to lean against the wall, unable to continue. She was weak, about to faint. Her head swirled, her stomach hurt and she had that familiar feeling of dizziness that showed after a hangover. Only she hadn't had a drink and was sure of it.

Damn. What the heck? Who was behind that story?

She analyzed the space again and, raising her eyes to the ceiling, noticed a small red light that pulsed intermittently.

A video camera.

They were spying on her then. She clenched her jaw and cast a menacing glance in that direction. Not happy, she showed her middle finger grinding her teeth.

She ran her hands through her loose hair and tried to make her mind local, squeezing her brains. She didn't even remember how the day started. She became nervous. She was trembling. Probably due to some substances that had injected her. Drugs? Rape opiates?

Focus Chloe, focus. 

She thought about Trixie and the anxiety reached her with a hot flush. Was she okay? Had they taken her too?

No, no, no. One thing was certain. Trixie had slept at Dan, then he had taken her to school. Her lovely Trixie was fine, she was safe.

Relieved, she began to breathe regularly and crouched on the floor, sitting cross-legged. Memories began to be less blurred.

She was wearing the same clothes he had chosen that morning: yellow t-shirt, gray jeans and at her feet the inseparable brown boots. Her badge and obviously the gun had been confiscated. The necklace was still there.

She snorted. She couldn't know the precise time but she suspected that she had slept a lot and therefore had already dropped the afternoon if not even at night.

Well. Dan and his colleagues would find her soon. Dan and the other colleagues but not...him. Yeah. 

A name appeared in her mind and immediately tried to give herself an attitude. Those six months, slow as the flow of sand in a giant hourglass, had been very hard to deal with. There was not a day when she didn't think about Lucifer and the last moments lived together.

She didn't sleep, ate little and barely focused on Trixie and work. That's it. She lived without really living. She lacked so much that she wanted to hold on to all her memories, ending up estranged from the surrounding world.

It hurts, although she kept it to herself, despite pretending a happy smile in front of the others, although she kept repeating that she had overcome it. She had become a liar and that was fine with her.

The next few moments - minutes, hours, she didn't know - she passed them dozing lying in a corner and then walking around the perimeter determined to dispose of whatever crap they had given her. She was getting better. Still slightly done but definitely more attentive to her surroundings.

The whistle of a malfunctioning microphone reverberated in the room and Chloe closed her ears, disturbed by the deafening hiss. Silence followed, indefinite background sounds and a cough.

She stood up, ready to counter the unknown threat. She had no weapons with her, but she was ready to fight with her nails and her teeth.

\- Welcome back , Detective Decker. - Said the voice through the speaker.

Chloe winced and splashed against the wall in defense. That voice...she had heard it before. Just before fainting. He was that strange accent man.

\- Don't be scared, dear. All you have to do is do what we ask and you can go home in peace. -

Chloe raised an eyebrow hardening her features. The veiled threat did not go unnoticed given her habit of dealing with criminals of all kinds. She noticed her throat was parched. She swallowed. - You already know I'm a detective, right? So be reasonable and let me go. -

\- Oh, dearest. - He said that in a way that made her shiver. - Straight to the point, uh? -

\- Who are you? What do you want from me? - Chloe cut short, already tired of that pantomime.

The voice was turned off a few seconds. - I'm your big fan, actually. I wanted to meet you for a long time. -

Chloe pulled her head back and inhaled deeply. A maniac? A fanatic of her old career as an actress? She hugged her belly instinctively wondering about the inevitable. - What... what did you do to me? -

\- Nothing, we're not animals. As long as she behaves well, not even a hair will be twisted. -

She had heard it before. Give to receive. She decided to play his game, only to understand something more. - And what should I do? - She ventured.

\- I will inform you shortly. He will be brought before me and I will be happy to answer any of your questions, I assure you. -

In his presence? Who believed he was, a king of other times? Chloe barely held back an ironic laugh.

\- Well, see you soon. - Communication is interrupted with another beep.

Chloe stared once more at the lighted lamp and bit her lip, nervous. It was too early to issue judgments and it was absolutely pointless to elaborate a plan that was certainly destined to fail because it was full of uncertainties. Damn.

The lock, accompanied by a thud, snapped and the armored door was flung open. Chloe stiffened, ready to receive the visit of her jailer, and assumed the position of attack. She knew at least ten ways to catch an attacker by surprise. Sh had learned them all during the exercise. A lifetime ago.

A man of about forty or so, crossed the threshold whistling an unknown tune. He was tall and thin. A cascade of curly hair fell untidily over his head. In a gaunt and angular face, two large eyes, circled by deep dark circles stared at her, attentive. The natural pallor of his skin highlighted every little imperfection: two moles near the eyebrow and a deep scar on the left cheek.

He approached, while a cruel smile spread over his thin and chapped lips.

Chloe kept the guard up and gave him a look back. When he was close enough to nail her to the wall, the man's pupils dilated.

\- Chloe Decker. - He pronounced her name licking his pale mouth.

She watched him, trying to impress on her mind every detail that concerned him. His right arm was rigid along his side, in a position that indicated discomfort. Not only. She also noticed his uncertain, stunted walk. They could be weapons to use against him.

\- Turn around and put your hands behind your head. - He breathed in her face, brusquely.

Chloe looked at him defiantly, boldly. - I have nothing with me, no need to check. -

Without thinking twice, the man grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her the other way, pushing her against the wall. She grunted and tried to resist but was paralyzed when she felt his dirty hands searching her. He spread her legs apart and slid his fingers over her hips, then onto her thighs. - You smell delicious, doll. - He told her by grabbing a lock of hair and inhaling it.

Chloe felt the ground fail her feet. She tried to counteract the nausea, returned as soon as the disturbing fellow had met her gaze. She was on the verge of giving stomach.

\- You...get your hands off me. - She protested weakly.

The other grinned. - If you say so...- He kept the sentence in suspense and Chloe waited, pervaded by disgust.

But the man merely blindfolded her with a black handkerchief and then grabbed her arm tightening his grip. - Walk. - He ordered, pointing the barrel of the gun to the back of her head.

There was nothing left for Chloe to do.

///

Trixie dropped the pen on the desk and, on tiptoe, reached the door of her room left involuntarily ajar.

Her father had not said a word during dinner. He seemed very worried, taken by some kind of thoughts. The fact that her grandmother Penelope had come specifically to stay with her was rather strange.

Something was happening, she felt it in the air.

She heard her father's voice along with the sound of shifted chairs and close footsteps, then that of her grandmother. - Dan, you have to find her. She can't be simply gone, right? -

\- I will, I promise. -

Penelope sighed. - Will you ask the FBI for help? -

\- Not yet, but if we don't hear from Chloe in a day ... I'll have to do it. -

Trixie opened her mouth wide. Her mom... disappeared? Why? 

She wanted to know. She wanted to know more but she was sure that her family wouldn't explain anything to her because they considered her too small to deal with stuff like that.

There was someone in her life, though, who had always treated her like an adult. She smiled. She chose her name saved in the phone book and put the phone to her ear. - Maze? Call me back as soon as you can, I have to tell you something. -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you for all your kudos <3  
> English isn't my first language, so if you have any tips...come forward!  
> Anyway...what do you think about last chapter? Tell me everything! Any questions?   
> xoxo
> 
> BonkaisREAL


	3. The Plan

Chloe was forced to sit on what looked like a rickety stool. They removed her bandage and she was able to see again.

They had taken her to a tiny cell, an old wooden table in the center, and a triangular-shaped chandelier dangling from the ceiling. There were no windows. The environment resembled an interrogation room. What an irony.

The slimy man from earlier had leaned in a corner, gnawing at the blackened nails of his skeletal hands. She looked away, intent on avoiding any possible interaction.

When he had explored her, deliberately touching her, disgust had made its way into her body.  
The mere fact that he was now only a few steps away made her nervous, restless. Lousy.

"You know, " He started at a certain point. "I've seen your movie at least twenty times."

Chloe stared at the floor and said nothing. She would not give him any satisfaction.

"Hot tub high school." He hissed, making his tongue pop on the palate. "I wait to meet you for a lifetime and...finally you are here!"

Her hands were itchy, but as promised, she continued to sit still. The man ran towards her and a rush of acrid smell tickled her nostrils. She held his breath.

"You're even more beautiful, here in front of me." He coughed, then he walked around her and she heard him stop behind her. "And I bet your tits are better in person."

Chloe closed her eyes. He stroked her back with the barrel of the gun, sliding it to the back of her neck, past her neck and ran down to her breast. This was too much.

She shot like lightning. She snatched the weapon from his hand, nudged him full in the face and stood up, while the one, surprised, felt his bleeding nose. She placed a well-aimed kick between his legs and, victorious, saw him fall to the ground. He screamed.

"You...stupid ...bitch ..." He whimpered, writhing in pain.

Chloe lowered the gun in his direction. "I said don't touch me, is that clear to you?"

The man moaned and gave her a hateful look. He pushed on his hands to pull himself up, but he cursed, failing in the attempt.

"Have I been clear?" Chloe repeated, taking a hard mask on her face.

"I think he figured it out, Detective Decker." A shaky voice began behind her. The voice with the bizarre accent.

Chloe gave a start and turned around, finding herself face to face with two other men. The thickest, a guy almost two meters tall, frightening, held a miter in his arms. He resembled the Mountain from Game of Thrones. 

Chloe tightened her grip on the butt of the gun and pursed her lips, considering the circumstances. If she had pulled the trigger on one, the other would have taken her out in the blink of an eye. A woman, though accustomed to juggling in similar situations, would never have come out alive in such a context.

The tall, slender, elderly individual came forward, so thin that he looked like a scarecrow. He wore a black tunic that covered him entirely but did not seem to belong to any sacred order.

Two gray and cold eyes, deep wrinkles scattered on a pale face, a hooked nose and practically non-existent lips. A series of purple spots appeared on the bald head. He gave off strange vibration. He made a small bow.

"I apologize for all this. " He said alluding to the worm lying on the floor. "But there's no need to make a tragedy. Please put the gun down. "

Chloe's arms were raised. "Or what? Will you kill me?"

"Of course not. - He clarified the man concerned. "But if you don't cooperate...we will make things more difficult. -

At that precise moment, Chloe knew she had made an avoidable mistake. They needed her, but maybe they weren't so desperate to stop. They would have gone ahead with or without her support. "Detective, I think I know you enough to know that you are a capable and reasonable person."

"You don't know nothing about me. "

The man's expression hardened. "I know the address of your residence, I know - of course - where you work, with whom and...tell me, how is your beautiful girl, Beatrice, called Trixie?"

Chloe swallowed and bit the inside of her cheek. They had followed her, who knows for how long and she...she hadn't even noticed.

She dropped the nine-gauge Beretta and kicked it away. It slipped directly to the feet of the brute who bent to pick it up. He hid it in his belt and dragged the dying man who had never stopped complaining.

They remained alone. The elderly gentleman introduced himself. "My name is Archibald Jones, it's my pleasure."

"Enough whit these stupid pleasantries, what do you want from me?" Chloe cut short, sitting down with a thud in her place.

Archibald nodded and clasped his hands, weaving his gnarled fingers. He sat down in the chair opposite. "Before we start...can I offer you something to drink?" He looked thoughtful. "Bourbon, I'm afraid it's the only bottle we have."

Chloe stared at him, bewildered. "Seriously?"

"Sure. Later we will bring you dinner."

Chloe glared at him. "Dinner? I want to go home and be with my family." She clenched her fists and dropped them at his sides.

"Soon, but until she helps us, she will have to stop here."

Chloe became impatient. "Help you do what?" She screamed. "Good lord, tell me and let's get it over with!"

Archibald raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay." He became serious, glacial. "I'm looking for Lucifer Morningstar. Can you tell me where is he?"

Chloe's ears whistled and the name echoed in her head.

Lucifer.

It was like being slapped in the face without having the chance to defend herself.

Lucifer.

///

 

"Maze!" Exclaimed Dan, rubbing his eyes after the rude awakening in the middle of the night. "What are you doing here?"

Maze, tucked into a suit of leather top and skirt, entered the apartment with an angry gesture. Obviously she didn't care at all about having disturbed him. "Where's Decker?"

Dan sighed as he closed the door. "I don't know." He spread his arms. "She's..."

"Disappeared." She finished, pulling her trusty blades out of her pockets. "So I've heard."

Dan lowered his voice to reduce it to a whisper. "From who?"

Maze sat down on the kitchen counter and tore a grape from the bunch that stood in the fruit bowl. "Why are you talking like an idiot?"

"Trixie, I don't want her to know."

Maze raised an eyebrow. "She already knows. She's the one who told me. -

Dan brought his hands to his hair. "Jesus Christ."

Maze chuckled, pleased. "What do you think? The girl is smart." Observed with pride. "Definitely more than you."

"Maze ..." He warned her with his back to her. "If you came here to judge then you can also leave, thanks."

The sexy demon rolled her eyes. "I came to help, Espinoza."

"You're not a police officer."

Maze gave him a look at vitriol. "Fortunately, I'm not so desperada."

"Do you have any idea?" Dan asked, pouring himsekf some coffee.

Maze stole his cup from under his nose and drank the entire contents in one gulp. "Ugh, that sucks." She complained.

Dan snorted. "Maze?"

"Sift the city, for example. Search every damn alley of L.A."

Dan took a deep breath. - We should call Lucifer. Maybe he could help us. - He was surprised to have said it aloud. He and that weird fancy guy weren't friends, but ...his methods - somehow - worked since he didn't even know where to start at the moment.

Maze frowned and tightened his grip on the knife handle. "I don't think so."

"Where is he?"

"Home."

Dan frowned. "But where?"

"Hell." Maze replied, grinding her teeth.

Dan opened the door at the top for more coffee. "OK, forget it." He had long ago given up trying to understand that strange woman.

Maze's voice, surprisingly, softened. "Trust me, I'll find her."

"Listen, I was thinking that maybe..." Dan realized he was alone. He stared at the empty kitchen and scratched his head, confused. - And she's gone."

///

 

Chloe licked her dry lips and looked at the man, surprised, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Keep calm. She swallowed empty and the expression on her face turned to stone.  
"You'll probably know it already, but he's gone."

Archibald stared back at her. "Correct." He coughed, caught off guard. "But ...I wonder where exactly. We've been looking for him for months without any results."

Chloe felt her heart sink. "I have no idea."

Archibald clenched his jaw. "Detective, lying is not in her ropes."

Chloe pursed her lips. "It is not a lie." She crossed her legs imitating a certain confidence. "Mr. Morningstar is in a city unknown to me."

"Do you mean...hell?"

She jumped involuntarily and expanded her nostrils. He knew? How was it possible?

Well... it's not like Lucifer had ever hidden the truth. Over the years the voice had been able to expand but she heavily doubted that they had kidnapped her only to have a confirmation. "Who are you?" She hissed. She was now afraid. Fear of knowing the truth. She knew she wouldn't like it.

"I told you. Archibald Jones." He replied with a shrug.

"What do you want from Lucifer?" Chloe stuck with her, as her voice faded.

Archibald showed a sinister smile. "I want to get him back here among us."

Chloe's stomach twitched. She had to continue to show indifference. Try Decker, do it for him. "I don't think I can help you. He's gone and he won't come back." Saying it out loud really hurt. She stifled a groan.

"Oh my dear." He broke out, mellifluous. "Don't underestimate the devil's love for her."

Chloe nervously rolled a strand of hair into her forefinger. "Lucifer and I were work colleagues, nothing else." She cleared her throat and moved her neck to loosen up her tense and clogged muscles.

Forgive me, Lucifer, if you're listening to me.

She hated lying, even if for a good purpose. It didn't seem fair to the only person who had made her heart beat after so long. The great man she had fallen in love with without escape. The man who sacrificed himself for the good of all. She teared back the tears before being caught.

Archibald shook his head. "It wasn't just work."

No, of course not. "Think what you want, I don't care."

"You are putting my patience to the test." The man prodded her, massaging his wrinkled face lightly.

Chloe looked up at the ruined ceiling. "Leave me alone."

Archibald spoke again. "Before he died, Father Kinley, told me about your exploits, your special bond and... even the plan he studied to send Lucifer Morningstar back to hell."

Chloe opened her mouth and closed it, not knowing how to answer. Her mind immediately blurred. Father Kinley and Archibald were somehow connected, which was quite distressing.

She felt the anger mounting in her body. They wanted Lucifer, again, they wanted to hurt him. They will have to pass over my body.

Archibald studied her cautiously. "I know everything, detective. I also know when you thought of executing the late Kinley's orders."

Chloe suppressed a scream ready to come out. Shit.

"Poor Lucifer, how much pain will he have felt knowing that the woman he loves has betrayed him without thinking twice?"

Chloe stood up and the chair behind her fell. "Kinley used me!" She screamed "I trusted him and he tried to manipulate me."

She shivered. She had risked never seeing him again because of her inability to understand him.

The image of Lucifer struck by her tormented her after months.

"For a moment I was helping him trying to send you back to hell."

"How could you do this to me? To me!"

The faint voice of the man brought her back to reality. "If that's what you think, that's fine. Coming back to us...The vial and its contents no longer exist, but we have found a way that is still valid."

Chloe advanced slowly. " What do you have in mind?"

Archibald also stood up and, plodding, stood in front of her, triumphant. The gray eyes lost any glimmer of fake kindness. He read only malice. "We will attract him here, we will deprive him of his supernatural powers and kill him. Hell and all the souls in pain that populate it, will disappear with him."

A nervous laugh escaped Chloe. "You can't do it. It's the devil."

Archibald cocked his head to the side. "Right, but you, my dear detective, are the key to your mortality. It makes him vulnerable."

Chloe tried everything for everything. "You're totally crazy."

Archibald stared at her with a pitiful expression. "We just want to get rid of evil in the world. You should be proud of us."

Chloe joined him in a few steps. "Don't try to touch him." Now they were very close. She realized how frail and weak he was. It would have taken her a little to get him K.O.

"So ..." Archibald began in a whisper. "I guess you won't help us."

Chloe gave a contemptuous sneer. "Exactly."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...here we go with another chapter!  
> We'll see our Lucifer very soon, stay tuned! Thanks for all your kudos and comments, love you!


	4. Photographs

Next morning at the police station the tension was so strong that they could see it hovering in the air.

The rumor of the disappearance of Detective Decker had spread rapidly and colleagues, agitated as never before, ran back and forth waiting to learn more.

Lieutenant Parker was locked in her office along with two FBI agents. At that point their intervention was inevitable. This meant that the police would have to work on the case without being actively involved. Which was quite frustrating, especially for Dan who hated the feds more than anyone else.

After the umpteenth cursing accompanied by a gesture of annoyance, Ella winced and she almost dropped glass bottles containing very important evidence on the floor.

"Hey, you have to stop spinning like a maniac or you will give me seasickness." She protested. 

Dan didn't seem to have heard her. She glanced quickly at his friend. "Are you worried about Chloe, eh?" She snorted. "Me too, but we must keep our hopes high."

Dan opened a binder and began to inspect some documents. Two piles of old files just out of the archives with lots of dust.

She gave a slight laugh. "You know, once my abuelita left the house and she never came back, I mean...in the end we found her again, but we were so worried that we didn't notice the note she had left on the entrance table . " A pause followed. "I don't know why I told you, the two situations are completely different. Chloe will be back soon, anyway." She snorted. "I'm not good at comforting people and giving advice, man!" She began to jabber, as everytime she became nervous.

Dan emerged from his thoughts. "Sorry, did you say something?"

The dejected girl shook her head. "No, I was talking to myself of course."

Officer Luke, one of the newcomers, knocked on the door and entered the lab holding a red packet in his hands. "Mr. Espinoza, they left it for you."

Dan stared at him suspiciously. "Who gave it to you?"

Luke pointed to the concierge. "A guard. Anyway it was checked, it seems to be all right."

"Leave it on the table as well." Dan said waving a carelessly hand. Luke left immediately after.

Ella leaned over and looked at the box closely, then weighed it to try to guess the contents. "Uh." She exhaled. "Maybe a new admirer?" She handed it to him.

Dan untied the sturdy ribbon and waved the package. He heard a slight rustling, but nothing more. He removed the lid and found an envelope with a folded white card.

He looked at Ella who gave him a nod of encouragement. Dan lifted the top of the envelope and three photos, Polaroid format, captured his interest. They slipped from his fingers and landed straight on the desk.

Ella put her hands to her mouth behind him. "Damn!" She exclaimed, her large dark eyes widening. "That is ..."

Three different photos depicted Chloe in three different angles. Dan placed them side by side while Ella, tense and silent, stood by his side.

In the first, the woman was lying face up, her hands and feet blocked by handcuffs and thick ropes. She seemed to be sleeping. The eyes were closed and the mouth was sealed with brown tape.

The second, taken from above, showed Chloe sitting cross-legged, leaning against the wall, her arms around her waist as if she wanted to protect herself from the cold. Her head bowed, her low eyes pointed towards who knows what.

In the last - the least visible - Chloe lay on the floor curled up on herself. Her hair completely covered her face and it was not possible to pick up any detail of vital importance.

They stayed silent for a while. Suddenly they had the terrible feeling of being in front of a dead end, in danger of life.  
Chloe had been kidnapped. It was no longer a guess. The truth was right before their eyes.

Dan's attention was focused solely on his ex-wife. Ella looked around, confused. Then suddenly she awoke from his astonishment. "Dan." She murmured softly, calling to him.  
"You forgot your ticket."

The man swallowed and unwrapped it. In simple characters, written on the computer - certainly not to attract attention - a text read the following words:

"Mr. Espinoza,

as you may have noticed, Chloe will stay with us for some time. We assure you that we do not intend to harm her. She is not our goal, although she's very important. Bring me Lucifer Morningstar and, I assure you, sh will be immediately released. Do nothing you could repent of.

I'll be in touch soon.

A. J. "

Ella stole the piece of paper from his hands and read it quickly. "A.J.? Who the hell is this?"

Dan continued to watch the Polaroids. "I wish I knew too." He gave a strange scream. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"Let's keep calm." Proposed Ella, still shaken but able to focus again on her work. "Should we warn the feds?"

Dan kicked the sliding chair and scratched his neck furiously. "No not yet."

She put her hand on his arm. "No?" She repeated. "You heard the lieutenant ..."

"I know, Ella!" Dan burst out. "But...we can always try to get answers for ourselves."

The girl pursed her lips. "Good. What do you propose?"

Dan grabbed the photos again. "Look." He pointed to them. "They were taken at two different times."

"Quite right." Ella confirmed. "In the first two Chloe has more clothes than the last one."

"Unless they made her change on purpose."

She put on a pair of latex gloves. "There is also little light. I will try to scan them thoroughly for clarity."

Dan nodded. "Great." He congratulated. "I know it will be of little use, but also check the prints and try to make a comparison."

She clenched her fist and held it up with her arm. "Where are you going?"

"To talk to Amenadiel. I need to be able to contact Lucifer, I think it's the right thing to do now."

////

When Amenadiel landed in hell, he was immediately hit by a shower of ash that he tried to get rid of by waving his wings, splendid and immaculate. It was cold, at the expense of what was usually thought. Hell had never been hot.

He jumped from one rock to another and specifically avoided paying attention to the continuous moans of the souls in pain scattered throughout the kingdom.

It didn't take him long to find him.

He flew to the highest point and stopped in the direction of the dark gray stone. He watched him noiselessly.

He kept his eyes closed, his lips curved in an evident grimace, his long legs crossed and the supple fingers drumming on the protrusions that served as armrests.

He wore what remained of a precious and elegant Armani suit. Despite the sloppy look...he seemed to be fine.

"Are you going to say something or do you want to stand there staring at me like a crazy one, brother?" Said Lucifer breaking the tranquility in an instant.

Amenadiel fought the urge to roll his eyes and held out his hand. "How are you, Lucy?"

Lucifer gave him a light pat on the shoulder and beckoned him to follow him. They landed on a hill far from circles and prying eyes and settled a little further on. The sky, in reality a mere optical illusion created by their father, was dark and cloudy. Lightning and thunder gleamed nonstop.

"So?" Repeated Amenadiel, impatient. "What's up?"

Lucifer masked the obvious discomfort with a flat chuckle. "You know, the usual things." He looked at him sideways. "Punishment, punishment, punishment. This is my life for the eternity." He darkened. "Hilarious, eh?"

Amenadiel took a deep breath and thought about what to do. When Dan showed up at his house, agitated and almost delirious, he had never thought about what he would soon reveal to him. Chloe had been missing for two days, held against her strength by some thugs who seemed interesting only to his brother, The Devil. 

He had read with his own eyes the ticket and the underlying threat and the request to meet Lucifer signed by a certain A.J.

That's why he had rushed to hell as soon as he could. Lucifer needed to know. "Hey, can we talk?" He asked, trying to get his full attention.

Lucifer frowned. "Isn't that what we're doing?"

Amenadiel sighed. "Yes, however, see.."

"How's my grandson?" He asked Lucifer, joyfully. "Sometimes I forget that you took the ball to the hoop." He nudged him on the ribs not too calmly. "When I met Linda and took her to bed I never imagined a story like Dynasty style!"

"Please don't remind me." Amenadiel stopped him.

Lucifer snorted. "It's not like he ever kept it from you." 

Amenadiel felt his temples, fed up. Lucifer was the usual...Lucifer, only forcibly sarcastic. "He's fine, he's fine."

"Does he speak?"

"Not yet, I mean...he's only six months old."

Lucifer turned his head away and rubbed his neck, pressing with both hands. "What about the others? " He asked in a whisper, the tone of voice so subdued that he could hardly catch it. "Everyone else...doing well?"

Amenadiel's throat became parched. The brother, always proud and courageous, did not even have the strength to pronounce his name. "Lucy." He took some time before continuing. "I came here for a reason."

Lucifer turned a cigarette between his finger. "Spit it out, then."

Amenadiel said it. "Chloe's gone."

Lucifer immediately returned to look at his brother and blanched, the shadow of the smile destined to be canceled soon. "W...hat? What are you talking about?" His lower lip trembled.

Amenadiel swallowed hard. "Dan came to tell me about it this afternoon." He explained, holding out an envelope. "Here, look."

Lucifer, visibly shaken, examined the photos that his brother gave it to him. The expression become fear. "They want me." Realized. "They want me and they dared to touch her." A vein throbbed in his neck.

Amenadiel is not the sudden way in which Lucifer's body was changing. His devil face was about to show itself. "The police are investigating but they don't have much."

Lucifer crumpled the ticket which became ash due to its hold. "A.J." He spoke that name with contempt, then gritted his teeth. "I'll find her." A promise that resounded in the air full of resentment.

Amenadiel suspected it. He would have done anything to save those he loved, especially Chloe, the woman of his life. He was proud of the Lucifer he had become. "How will you deal with hell?"

Lucifer spread his wings and clenched his jaw. "I don't care at all. Chloe comes first."

"Wait, Lucy. " He tried Amenadiel. "This fool, whoever he is, wants to set a trap for you. Certainly very deadly."

Lucifer stared at him sideways. "And Chloe is in danger...because of me."

" I know but..."

Lucifer's eyes turned bright red. "No "but", Amenadiel. She needs me and I will not leave her alone, even if this would mean dying."

 

///

The creepy man came back to visit her.

He crept into the cell, trudging slowly, slowly, slow as a snail. As a result of the blow he received he limped more. Thanks to me, she thought proudly. The nose was covered by a large patch and the skeletal face made even more sense.

Chloe, tied to the chair against the wall, noticed the hungry and spirited eyes that followed her. She only felt disgust, but that wouldn't have made her intimidated. She held her gaze and tried to hide what she really felt. That lousy worm didn't even deserve a minimum of her pain.

Brian, so Archibald had called him, placed a portable camera on the table in front of her and exhibited a gruesome smile to say the least.

He laughed. "You'll be the actress again soon." Exulted. "Happy?"

Chloe bit her lip and shuddered. She didn't answer. Brian licked his mouth and swallowed, advancing in her direction. "Mmm." He groaned when he was close enough to whisper in her ear. "Keep it up. Do you want to see how big he got?"

The disgust went through her and he could not contain herself. A force that she thought she had lost allowed her to give him a head, once again, on the nose. She hurt herself too, but a victorious smile spread across her lips. "Idiot." She addressed him. "You wiòò never learn, eh?"

Brian let out a shrill cry and stepped back, touching the injured part. The bandage turned red in a few seconds. "You!" He pointed a finger at her. "I`ll kill you!"

Chloe didn't have time to blink that he found herself facing him, angry. He gave her a slap so hard that she fell to the side with the chair. She banged her head violently on the hard marble surface. She closed his eyes instinctively, overwhelmed by the intense pain and panted.

Brian mumbled, spreading his arms. " I ... I love you and you ... you treat me like that!" He pulled her up and put her back next to the wall. "You have to stop rejecting me, do you understand?"

Chloe gasped, her heart in her throat, her temple throbbing. She wasn't used to complaining, she hadn't even done it after the accident two years ago, but this time it was different. She looked down, trying to push back the tears.

Brian pushed back a lock of hair from her face, she shivered. "Be good and I promise you I won't hit you again." He touched her jaw and lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.  
"I'm going to talk to Archibald and I'll be back." Before leaving, he printed a wet kiss on her forehead.

Once she was alone, Chloe felt her fragile nerves break and decided to let herself go to a crying tear.


End file.
